U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned members of the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that they must “set the example” by enforcing sanctions on North Korea as China suggested the Council should consider easing the tough measures.
North Korean ally China, backed by Russia, said the Security Council should reward Pyongyang for the “positive developments” after U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in June and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that steps by North Korea towards gradual disarmament should be followed by the easing of sanctions against Pyongyang. Lavrov’s proposal at the UN Security Council meeting challenges US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s demand that sanctions should be “vigorously” enforced until such time that North Korea will denuclearise.
Russia’s top diplomat also called on other countries to refrain from imposing “unacceptable” secondary sanctions on North Korea while talks continue.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that if North Korea strays from the path of diplomacy and denuclearization if will “inevitably lead to ever increasing isolation and pressure.” “Enforcement of Security Council sanctions must continue vigorously and without fail until we realize the fully, final, verified denuclearization,” he told the 15-member body. “The members of the council must set the example on that effort.”
Iran’s president said on Thursday that the UN Security Council meeting chaired by President Donald Trump the previous day reflected America’s increasing isolation among the international community.
“Nobody backed the United States, putting America into a unique historical and political isolation,” said Hassan Rouhani, speaking to reporters at Tehran’s airport after returning from New York, where he addressed the UN General Assembly.
According to the Iranian leader, Trump achieved the opposite of what he’d hoped for — in the Security Council meeting, 14 countries either directly or indirectly backed the nuclear agreement between Iran, the United States and five other major powers.
“Very interesting, someone invites leaders to a UN Security Council meeting after himself having trampled on a resolution by the very same council,” Rouhani said, referring to the council resolution that backed the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
